Whenever You're Around
by imaklainicorn
Summary: Nick and Jeff have been friends for years, there was no reason to question that. Until one ride on their bikes and an unlucky event changes things.
1. The Ride

"So are you coming or do I need to wait another century?" Jeff was jumping around slightly, a habit that always showed up when he was being impatient. Nick just shook his hair out of his eyes, giving his friend a look that said enough to make Jeff laugh. "You know I'm just kidding. But hurry up already!"

Nick grabbed his bicycle, groaning. "It's not like it's my fault that I had to pump the wheels first.", he stated, swinging himself on the bike.

"Well, it actually is.. considering that you're just too much of a lazy ass to actually USE it!"

Nick was already forming an argument in his head as Jeff jumped on his bike and took off, laughing.

"I hate you!", was the only thing that came into his mind and out of his mouth, kicking the pedals harshly to catch up with Jeff.

The sun was finally breaking through the clouds, after hiding behind them for a whole week which seemed more like a year. The air was still smelling like rain, flowers in bright yellow and white blossoming on several square patches of green grass in front of the neat buildings that belonged to Nick's neighbours, as the two teenage boys made their way to the cinema. Nick didn't really understand why Jeff insisted on going there by bike, it wouldn't have taken them that long to walk. They probably would have been there by now, considering how long it took him to get his bike going. But at some point of their friendship, Nick stopped questioning the things that were going through Jeff Sterling's brain. Ever since he realized that some of them were brilliant ideas, just lying under a mask of lunatic words, ready to surprise him.

They filled their lungs with fresh air, riding in the same tempo, while they enjoyed how the spring turned the nature around them into pure beauty. Nick even spied a squirrel as it rescued itself high up into a tree.

"Do you wanna know what wonderful idea I just had?", Jeff then asked, a wide grin growing on his face. Nick sighed, not sure if he _wanted_ to know but then nodded.

"Let's do a race.. You'll never get there before me.", the smile on his face grew bigger, Nick felt almost blinded as the sunlight got reflected by his white teeth. Nick wondered for a few seconds if the other was joking, realizing too late that he wasn't.

"Aren't we too old for that?", he shouted, seeing Jeff riding off and being way ahead of him in seconds, as he quickly started pedalling after him. He was right, they hadn't done a race in at least 3 years and Nick's former passion for sports has faded over the time. Jeff by contrast was the most athletic guy he knew, making them both such an unusual pair of friends with all their differences. Somehow, the similarities still managed to outweigh them though and that was what kept them together. Minds that shared similar thoughts, hearts that seemed to be beat in the same rhythm, two souls that could almost be counted as only one. Others might have described them as a perfect match, two human beings that found their better half on earth without searching for it. But for them, it was not something worth to mention. They were just friends, had always been, they worked together knowing the other one better than themselves sometimes. And as long as it worked, what was there to question about?

There was something about Jeff's back and the hint of his boxers peeking out under the waistband of his jeans that drove Nick mad. It felt like Jeff was mocking him, telling him that Nick would lose this game while he still managed to keep that chill attitude of his. But exactly that was what Nick needed, something that kept him going.

And it did.

While they were riding their bikes, the blanket of clouds above them was contracting again, turning the sunny spring day into a scenery that rather resembled the setting of an autumn day. The rain surprised them both, starting harshly, soaking them within seconds until they were wet all over. But their competition wasn't over, Jeff gaining even more space between them. And Nick still wasn't ready to give up.

They crossed a park, barely noticing a few people that found shelter under a pavilion, being disturbed by the rain on their walk home or a shared picnic.

"Jeff! Maybe we should slow down!", his voice was hoarse, potentially because of the wetness that had reached his skin, leaving his neck and chest completely cold. Additional to many other parts of his body. Crazy how fast nature worked its way through a human body, not letting anything stop it. Even though Nick knew how strong his body was, how it was able to regain health.

"You're just realizing that you're gonna lose!", Jeff's response got almost lost in the noise of the pouring rain. Nick gulped, feeling the wheels slipping a bit underneath him.

No, it wasn't that. It was the possibility of him crashing into something or someone as soon as he would lose control over his bike.

Well, if Jeff wanted to play this game, then they'd better get it over and done with as quickly as possible. There was a sudden energy rushing through him, giving him strength that he didn't know he had and he took the lead, surprising himself more than Jeff.

"Hey! How did that happen?", he heard Jeff shouting behind him and he turned his head to stick out his tongue.

"You're too slow for me, Sterling!"

And then he was rushing away, feeling the muscles in his legs tensing as he kept on kicking into his pedals. There was a laughter escaping his mouth, loud and bright. He noticed how much time he had spent inside lately, missing out on all the fun outside while he kept burying his nose in a book or getting lost in a video game.

He felt free.

For the first time in months he felt free. The pressure of school and society were just blurry thoughts in the back of his head, being washed away by the rain like the dirt from the streets. He looked back to see Jeff smiling at him, and the bitter coldness that was dragging him down swept away, being replaced by a warmth that heated him up from the inside.

Huh. That was new.

He didn't have enough time to capture this new thought, to spot the meaning behind it. They got into a crossroad, and Nick turned forward just a few seconds too late.

There was quite a possibility that nothing would have happened if the streets had been completely dry. Nick was a good biker, had always been. But under these circumstances, he had no chance.

There was no time left for him to stop his bike and therefore no time left to stop the collision. The last thing he remembered was losing grip of the handlebar, a weird crack that didn't fit the situation. Or maybe it did. All air got knocked out of his lungs, the world around him getting fuzzy.

It was like this one time he fainted during a concert in summertime, his muscles no longer under his control, as he drifted into a world of unconsciousness.


	2. Waiting

**First of all: THANK YOU! for those who left a review, and those who added this to their alerts/favourites and just simply for those who read the first chapter!**  
**I'm still not really used to write (especially in English) so I hope I won't disappoint you!**

**Many thanks to Timna for being the best Beta I could wish for. This story wouldn't be happening without you.**

**I do not own Glee. If I would, it would be a Dalton Spin-Off by now and Niff would be canon.**

* * *

Jeff always heard that everything happens too fast during an accident, nothing that others could even grasp or remember later. That everything turns into a blur right after it happened.

Lies.

Everything stopped, the only things he heard was the beating of his own heartbeat, drumming way louder than usual in his ears and the slippery sound of wheels against cement.

He wished he had closed his eyes.  
Those images would be haunting him for weeks, guaranteeing a lot of sleepless nights. And yet he could not look away.

He couldn't look away as the most important person in his life collided with the ground.

His heart stopped pounding in his ears, and instead there was a ringing, banging in his head as if someone decided to do road works right in the middle of his brain.

No.

This wasn't happening.

This couldn't be happening.

_Not his Nick_.

He was off his bike in less than a second, the roaring of the car just a quiet noise, seeming to come from far away, as he sunkon his knees next to Nick. The driver jumped out of her car, the shock in her face reflecting what Jeff should feel, but instead he felt nothing.

As if his heart had become numb, soaked by the rain, slowly turning to ice. Something in him screamed to do something, _anything_, but he couldn't.

He felt a panic rising inside of him, slow and imperceptiblefirst, until it ran him over like a train, leaving him shaking. But that didn't matter.

All that mattered was Nick.

There were some cloudy words spoken by the woman behind him, some part of his brain telling him that she was probably calling an ambulance, while his hands found Nick's.

"Nick", his voice was so weak, Jeff wouldn't have recognized it as his own, but that was all he managed to say. "Nick.", again and again.

There was no answer.

Something was dropping down from his chin, big raindrops that shattered into million pieces as soon as they hit Nick's skin. There was this stabbing pain in his chest that wanted to burst free, working its way up until it left his lips. But on its way it transformed into sobbing, quiet and desperate.

Jeff never cried.

He didn't cry when his dog died. Sophie had been on his side since he had been a small kid, being his best friend until he met Nick. His parents decided to get him a pet when they found out that his mother wasn't able to get more children. And because of that Jeff had never felt the need for siblings, his dog had always been there for him, had played with him, had given him comfort when he felt bad.

Not as if he didn't care when she died, quite the opposite actually. Several days passed and he refused entirely to have dinner with his family. He just couldn't find the required appetite for that. Yet there were no tears.

It wasn't until Nick came into his room, ignoring the shouts that were thrown at him, with a pizza box in his hands.

It didn't take Nick more than 15 minutes to get Jeff eating.

Two years had passed since then. And Nick had become so much more than just his best friend.

And now he felt so helpless, kneeling besides him, watching his chest rise and fall in an unsteady rhythm..

That was the moment when it made click in Jeff's brain.

It wasn't too late.

He hadn't lost him yet.

It was as if the wheels that kept his brain working had stopped for several moments, and were now running again in full speed.

Nick was breathing.

Good.

The voice of the guy who had lead the first aid-course last year, which his mum had made him go to, was back in his head: "_The most important thing to do, after you've made sur__e that the injured person is still breathing, is to bring him in a lateral recumbent position._"

And suddenly, Jeff knew what he had to do.

It didn't take him long to bring Nick in the exact position he wanted him to be, and he allowed himself to let a shaky breath escape his lungs.

The next thing he could do was giving him more warmth. So he took off his jacket, carefully wrapping it around Nick. It wasn't until then that Jeff noticed the blood.

For a second he thought he'd black out, overpowering fear rushing through him, but he couldn't. Nick needed him now, more than ever before.

So he breathed in, and for the first time since the accident had happened, he looked at the woman who caused it.

"Did you call for help?", his voice was still weak, but at the same time he sounded much stronger than he felt. The woman, just around her thirties, with blonde long curls falling down damp over her shoulder now that she was no longer sheltered by her car, gave a shy nod. She looked absolutely terrified.

"Look, I'm so sorry, I was just.. The rain was so intense, I didn't see him and he was so fast and..", she almost choked on her own words as she started talking way too fast and Jeff looked down to Nick again, letting his hand run through his hair, not bothering about the blood getting stuck on his fingers.

"It's okay. I'm not blaming you. And as far as I know Nick, he's not blaming you either.", his voice sounded steadier now, only the tears that were falling down on his best friend were giving away his feelings. His face was blank, any kind of emotion washed away. He could almost feel himself shutting down, trying to get rid of any kind of thought, trying to get rid of the images that kept appearing in front of his eyes.

Words from earlier came into his mind again, words that he now regretted. _What a wonderful idea it was indeed_, he thought, biting down harshly on his bottom lip until he could taste blood.

"They should be here any second.", he heard the woman say, answering with a short nod to show that he understood.

Once again, he started calling Nick's name, over and over again. But Nick stayed unconscious.

All he could do now was holding his hand.

* * *

**and I'm leaving you with a cliffhanger again, sorry! :D I'd love it if you'd tell me what you think! (even if you don't like it!)**


	3. Awakening

**I AM SORRY.  
I am sorry that it took me forever to continue this. Can I make it up if I upload another chapter in tomorrow? No? okay..**

**Thank you, Timna, for being my favourite Beta as always. You basically write half of this story.**

**I d****o not own Glee. If I would, it would be a Dalton Spin-Off by now and Niff would be canon.**

* * *

The first of a whole series of unusual things that Nick noticed was the pressure on his chest. Did his cat fall asleep on him again? But Pete felt different than this, a lot softer. And there was no relaxing purr to keep him calm. It couldn't be Pete.

The next thing was the annoying noise of a machine, reminding him of his alarm. What time was it anyway? Or was it weekend? His mind couldn't grasp a clear thought. School could wait, if he even had to go.

But there was more. There was this smell, something that was both familiar and strange. He wanted to get away from it. Some part of his brain that seemed awake enough to give him information, told him that there were memories he associated with that smell. And they weren't the good kind of memories.

The drumming of nervous fingers against wood. Voices of strangers only muffled by a door. Liquid getting poured into a plastic cup.

And then: the sobs.

A woman was crying. And that was the reason for Nick to open his eyes.

The next few seconds were nothing but chaos. His mother started crying even harder, her face, first full of fear and pain was now decorated with a bright smile, his father almost running into the chair in front of him as he hurried to the side of his wife and his younger sister, letting out a relieved sigh as she put down the book she was reading in to distract herself, giving him a wide grin. All of them were saying his name, and they all seemed so glad to see him awake.

But there was still one person missing, one part of his family that wasn't there yet.

He turned his head to his right, which took a lot more effort than usual and hurt in a way that he didn't expect. But any physical pain did not matter until he could be sure that he was there.

And there he was, a look of concern painted on his handsome face, his hazel-coloured eyes looking straight into his own.

"Jeff.. what's going on?", he asked him, and the blonde one shook his head, smiling a bit. But the smile seemed sad, more a _I feel sorry_ kind of smile. He didn't like it.

It wasn't until then that Nick realized that he was in a hospital room, a pipe stuck in his arm, transporting some kind of liquid either out or into his body.

His mum was stroking his cheek now, making him feel 10 again, when he lost his soccer game against The Tigers.

"You had an accident, remember?", his best friend started, his voice was shaking, a fact that made Nick frown. Jeff was usually so strong, but now his whole behaviour made him look vulnerable. He felt like Jeff was the one who needed comfort, not him.

"Accident?", the question left Nick's lips, as his brain started working, trying to find something that would explain everything. He wanted to lift his hand to rub his eyes, suddenly feeling tired, as he noticed the plaster around it. "Oh.", he then said, looking at what used to be his hand, now all covered in a white, heavy mass. He breathed in and only then noticed how it actually _hurt _to do that. And the stinging in his back, first barely noticeable was all of the sudden completely present. "Oh.", he repeated, not sure what else to say.

He remembered now, the whole ride on their bikes and Jeff's proposal of doing a race, and the rain and the car.

There was something else he remembered, the ambulance that brought him here. He had been awake for a few seconds only, but he was sure that it happened.

_Jeff was holding his hand in both of his, wrapping around it in an almost painful way, tight and warm. A lot warmer than his own. Then there was the sound of his voice, calling his name. Over and over again. As if that was something he needed to do over again, just like breathing in and out, something that kept him just as alive. But Nick didn't want him to stop anyway._

_He felt safe in that moment. As if there was nothing to worry about, as long as Jeff was there, holding his hand._

His father left the room to let a nurse know about him being awake, and his mother managed to stop crying.

"I'm so glad you're awake, darling.", she said, her fingers still drawing circles on his cheek.

There was something else. Something that caused the stinging in his head. He lifted his uninjured hand and carefully touched his head, only to hit against some kind of fabric.

He counted the injuries. One broken hand, a pain in his back that he couldn't quite figure out yet, a cut or something similar on his head. Well, at least he was alive.

A nurse and a doctor came rushing in, followed by his father, introducing themselves to Nick before they started explaining. Nick didn't understand half of it, too many medical words that he had never heard before, but he got the important parts.

His back hurt because of several bruises he had suffered there. Two fingers of his right hand were broken, also some small bones in the hand itself, but nothing they could not get fixed. The cut on his head was the thing that made them worry most, but the fact that Nick was awake now was already a good sign.

Then they started to ask questions. Nick answered them as honestly as he could, resisting the urge to look at Jeff. But he noticed even without looking, how he sunk back deeper into his chair, curling up like Pete when he felt tired.

Maybe Jeff was simply tired as well.

After the nurse and doctor both seemed satisfied with Nick's answers, they left to let Nick get a little more rest, telling his family to consider the same.

It was almost as if an actual question mark appeared above his mother's head, as she searched the face of her son for any hint of what he wanted.

"It's fine, Sara seems bored here anyway.", he grinned at his sister, the first smile since he woke up. Sara adjusted her glasses, her mouth opening in an scandalized kind of way.

"Nicky! I'm not.. I'm not!", she shouted, the hint of a smile showing on her lips. He knew how uncomfortable she must feel, she was only 13 and he hated going to hospitals when he was her age as well. So many sick people and pain in the faces of those who were fine, the smell of death right around the corner.

"Would you mind if I stay?", Jeff asked, asked all of them, his face still sad and Nick had the urge to pull him into a hug. Something about him reminded him of Jeff's old dog, the one time they forgot him outside in the rain, until they let her in and she gave them the saddest expression Nick had ever seen on a pet.

"No, I want you to.", Nick then said, not really thinking about how that might sound to his family, just hoping they wouldn't be hurt by that. But his parents only nodded, knowing the two boys well enough to understand. Both his mother and sister kissed him, first on the forehead and then on his cheeks. Nick returned the "I love you"s and smiled at his dad as he told him to take care.

Then they were gone and he and Jeff were alone.

He could barely say anything before Jeff broke down.

"It's.. it's all my fault, everything. I am so.. so s-sorry, Nick.", Nick stared at his best friend, stared at the tears that looked so wrong on his face. It was the first time he saw him like this. Tears! Jeff had never cried in his presence before. Nick stopped thinking that he was actually able to do that years ago.

"Jeff!", he said, speechless. And Jeff started crying even harder, letting his head fall down onto Nick's belly. He didn't know what to say, so instead he let his fingers wander through the blond hair of his friend, a colour he always envied him for. But Jeff didn't seem to stop, so he cleared his throat and tilted Jeff's head, made him look up to him.

"Jeffrey Sterling. Listen to me. This. Is. Not. Your. Fault.", he said slowly but certain, looking right into Jeff's tearful eyes.

"But.. if we had walked there, if I just.. why did I make us go by bike? It was all because of me and my stupid idea. And the race, why.. Oh, Nick, I'm so sorry. Sorry. Sorry.", he repeated the last word several times again and Nick sighed. He pulled him closer, giving him the best hug he could manage without blacking out from the pain.

"Don't be an idiot, Jeff. There's no need to blame yourself, it was an accident!", but Jeff wasn't listening, looking like a 5 year old that just tripped over something and scratched his knee, now looking for comfort.

It hurt. It hurt to see Jeff like this. It hurt more than those few little injuries he had. The pain was almost unbearable. "Please."

He eventually looked at him, seeming to calm down a bit.

"I'm horrible.", Nick couldn't even interrupt him, Jeff just went on: "No, I am. You just woke up after being unconscious for several days and all I care about is how that affects me. You have such a pathetic friend, Nick.", there was another tear rolling down his cheek but Nick caught it and wiped it away before it could fall.

"Oh, I don't know.. It's the best one I could find. And I was quite aware of what I could expect after I've read those instructions."

"But those are usually translated from Chinese to Spanish to German and THEN to English.. You should know that you can't really rely on them.", he was still a bit upset, but he sounded a lot more like the Jeff that Nick used to know.

"No risk, no fun.", and then Nick yawned, and it seemed like every single part of his body was sore. He allowed to let himself fall back into his pillows and sighed.

"Is it okay if I sleep now, Jeff?", he whispered, eyes closing.

"If it's okay that I stay a bit longer, then yes."

Nick wanted to give a reply but he was already drifting away into a world with much less pain and dreams full of unusual colours and sunshine.

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**I'd love to hear every single thought that you have on my story, even if you completely hate it!**


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